


Hunter's Prey(ON HIATUS)

by doritodippingtrash



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-09-13 22:01:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9143899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doritodippingtrash/pseuds/doritodippingtrash
Summary: Dipper Pines wants to be the best hunter in the world. However, he is still young and naive... So with the right words and a flare for the dramatics, the demon Bill Cipher, will have that kid like putty in his hands. (THIS IS CURRENTLY BEING REWRITTEN AND THUS ON HIATUS! SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE! THANK YOU!)





	1. A Sapling's Curiosity

Ford placed the journal back in the trunk with the other two.

"These journals are important, Dipper. I've risked my life more than once to keep them safe. Maybe someday, you won't have too." he said, patting his nephews head.

"But for now, we have to keep them safe."

"I understand Grunkle Ford." Dipper said looking from the trunk to Ford. He smiled at him with a nod.

"We have to keep them safe." He said. Whispering silently too himself again with a determined look.

"Keep them safe..."

"Good boy. One day, you'll make a fantastic hunter! Probably better than me."He ruffled Dipper's hair and the boy laughed it off. He was excited that he finally got to have time with his Great Uncle Ford.

"Well, there's work to be done yet. Have you finished copying down those ward runes I gave you Tuesday?" Dipper nodded at his Uncle.

"Yeah! I mean, yes, everyone!"

"Good Job Dipper." Ford said with a small smile, and patting him on the shoulder. Dipper was happy to help Ford with anything that could be of use, and he got even happier, almost so happy that he could rival Mabel's usually upbeat personality, that his Uncle said he might be better than him one day. Dipper didn't actually know if he would be better than Ford, but maybe equal to him.

"Thanks Great Uncle Ford." He said with a smile.

The outdated, landline phone in the basement made a ring.

"Oh shoot, what is it _now_?" Ford knitted his brows before picking it up. Dipper made a slightly disappointed face, though Ford didn't catch it.

"A what? In the attic? Have you tried calling the exorcist on Main Street? Yes, I do know how to perform those. About thirty-seven times. I can, if it's that bad. What's the address?" Dipper looked at his shoes and bit his lip, knowing what it meant. Beneath the Shack, he ran his hunting business. There was a lot of weird things that happened in Gravity Falls, and Ford was the only man in town that knew how to wield magic. Which meant Dipper had less time to do hands-on work.

"Yes, I'll be there in ten minutes. Goodbye." the older man turned around and gave his nephew an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry Dipper, this one is going to have to wait. The Henderson's baby is possessed."

"That's fine. I understand. Your work is never done." He said trying to sound less disappointed. By now Dipper should be use to it. His Uncle is always helping the townspeople with any form of supernatural creature, but that still didn't stop the feeling Dipper has every time Ford leaves him behind.

"I'll just see if Mabel is doing anything important." Ford nodded at him.

"I really am sorry Dipper." Dipper smiled up at him.

"And I said it was fine, now don't you have a baby to exorcise?" Ford and him chuckled a little. They went to the elevator that lead them back up to the gift shop.

"I'll be back and then we can continue our talk alright?" The elevator stopped and the both got out. Ford turned towards Dipper and laid a hand on Dipper's shoulder.

"Okay?"

"Okay. Good Luck Great Uncle Ford." Dipper said as Ford turned and left out the door to go do what he did best. Dipper went into the house to look for Mabel.

Trekking up the stairs, he could already hear music blaring from his shared room with Mabel. Almost nervously, he knocked loudly on the door to make sure it was okay to come in.

"You're good Dipper!" She cheerfully yelled from the other side. He smiled at her loudness and opened the door, only to find her tearing through her sweater pile.

"Mabel, what's all this?"

Jewelry, skirts, shoes (and even some glitter) were all thrown about the room, as if a tornado had come through and only thrown about his sister's things.

"Oh my gosh, Dipper you'll never guess what!" He gave her a small laugh and humored her.

"What?"

"I just got invited to the best party of the summer! Candy and Grenda are going to be here any minute and I have no idea which sweater to wear! Should I go with party balloons or just plain stripes? Or is that too casual? Oh, I just can't make up my mind because I'm so excited!!" Dipper smiled, happy that she got to go out with her friends. Though he knew this meant she also didn't have the time, he couldn't be upset when she was so happy.

"I think the balloons. It's more your style anyways." He told her with a smile.

His sister's upbeat attitude always made him feel a little better himself. She was once again going with her friends, but he really couldn't complain all that much. If he had friends to hang out with he would probably do the same exact thing Mabel was doing. He didn't let the fact that she was also leaving ruin anything. It bummed him out, but he would let it pass. Maybe he could ask Stan or Soos if they needed him with anything, and if not he could always go explore the woods. He wanted to learn all the cool and interesting things Ford had learned while exploring the woods. He went downstairs and asked Stan and Soos if they needed him for anything.

"Not right now Kid." Stan had said, sending him on his way, and Soos told him "Naw dude, it's cool. I got stuff handled here for now."

So with a nod Dipper grabbed his notebook and went to go explore in the woods.


	2. The Prisoner's Forest

Green leaves casted a cool shade below in the forest. The earthy smell mixed with the scent of flowers invited him into the gaping mouth of the woods. He kicked a small rock down the path, wandering deeper. Dipper had his own journal, and was eager to find something magical, anything really, to fill its pages. But what could he possibly find? He chewed on the end of his pen as he walked, waiting for something fantastic to document. That was when it hit him.

'How can I possibly find anything here when I'm on the trail?' Dipper thought to himself. He knew it would be dangerous business going off the path, but how else would he ever get anything worth documenting in his own notebook? The journals weren't written on an already made path. It was time Dipper made his own. 

He looked around and went off the path, into the awaiting forest around him. It was like a rush just to do this. He was going against both of his Uncle's wishes. He was straying from the path, and going deeper into an unfamiliar place. Dipper looked around him trying to catch sight of any form of mythical creature. He had seen very few creatures and had seen pictures of others from his uncle's journal but he wanted to see them for himself. He knew he shouldn't go to far into the woods, for there were things in there that he really didn't want to encounter. Monsters more frightening and dangerous than his level of skills would allow him to do. Sometimes he wished he could be strong like Ford. While thinking, Dipper wandered aimlessly around the woods. He was hoping to find something but nothing was showing up.

'Where are all the creatures? Did Ford also struggle to find anything when he first went out?' Dipper thought to himself. He sighed and set down on a fallen over tree. He leaned his head against his hand and looked around.  

_He watched the child with the curiosity of a cat. The naïve boy intrigued him in many ways, most notable was that he was of Pines lineage, wandering right into his territory. Well, not so much territory as a prison, but it was HIS prison. For a moment, he had thought it might have been Sixer coming to finish him off once and for all. Upon further inspection, he could see that was not the case. Bill spied on the boy, noticing some very peculiar things about him. One being the blue tree on his hat._

_'Pine Tree,' he thought.'You're my ticket out of here, kid!'_

Over in the bushes, Dipper heard a rustling sound, and readied himself with pen and paper. From the darkness, he could see two small eyes peering out, and he practically had to keep himself from bubbling over with excitement. The creature emerged to reveal a tiny man, the size of a cat at best, with a pointed Red Hat and white beard. Dipper deflated, disappointed that it was only a gnome. He knew of the basic creatures in the forest already; he wanted to find something that might impress the likes of Grunkle Ford himself. He slumped on the log, almost ready to give up, when a snark laugh reached his ears...  

Dipper quickly turned his head to look in the direction of the laugh. His heart rate picked up at this and he started to grow nervous. His brain was trying to think logically.

'Maybe it was another gnome, or something of that sorts' but at the same time his brain was panicking, 'I KNEW COMING IN HERE WOULD BE A BAD IDEA, AND NOW I'M GOING TO GET KILLED OR EATEN AND THEY WILL NEVER KNOW WHERE I WAS! MABEL MIGHT FIND ME DEAD!' This caused him to start hyperventilating. He needed to calm himself down. Dipper got up, clutching his notebook to his chest, and looked to either side of him. He didn’t even realize he was chewing on the top of his pen in nervousness.

'It's probably nothing to worry too much about.' The logical side of his brain said. He just needed to calm down and think. He knew the way back to the shack, he knew defensive spells and protection charms, even if they were weaker. He just needed to calm down and rationalize.

_T_ _his kid was a blast to watch! Just from a simple small laugh he is already panicking. 'Oh Pine Tree, you are going to be so fun to have around'. Pine Tree would be easy to trick into doing what he wanted him to do. Pull the right strings and the kid would be putty for him to mold into whatever he wanted him to be. 'All I have to do is earn the kid's trust, and then I will have him right where I want him' A wicked smile crossed his face as he thought of how this act will play out._  

Just as Dipper pulled himself together, a tall figure crossed his path and blocked him from escape. It startled him so much that he fell back onto the forest floor. He sat up, terrified out of his wits, and looked this figure in the eye.

"Hey there Pine Tree, what brings something so decomposable as yourself into **m** **y** part of the woods?" His voice (or it's, he wasn't too sure) sounded slightly nasally, but loud and clear as if he was shouting. Dipper was shaking, and he felt his voice get caught in his throat as he couldn't find the words to speak.

"Ha ha! Gee you humans sure are a riot sometimes. Name's Bill Cipher, nice to meet ya!" Bill held out a gloved hand down to the trembling Pines, who only stared at it in response. Dipper felt that he was making a fool of himself in front of Bill, and tried to muster his courage back up. Gingerly, he let his hand come up to meet Bills in what was perhaps one of the firmest handshakes of his life.

"What are you?" he blurted out almost immediately. He regretted it as soon as it left his lips, he hadn't meant to come across as rude, but Bill didn't find it so and answered the boy's question.

"Well kid, to some I'm a God, to others... Not so much. I'm a dream demon." 

"A-a Demon?" Dipper said shakily. He hated how his voice betrayed him. He meant to sound cool and collected, but his voice wavered and he stuttered. He was in the presence of a demon. If there was one thing Dipper knew, it was that demons were bad. Great Uncle Ford had warned him of demons and how they can manipulate you into making a deal, but that you never actually get what you want. They twist words around and make people's lives a living nightmare. Bill smiled down at Dipper.

"Yes, a demon! A dream demon with infinite power, and abilities beyond your wildest dreams. So you never answered my question in the beginning, what are you doing in my part of the woods?" Bill said leaning on his cane and looking directly into Dipper's eyes.

"I, uh....." He tried to tell him, but Bill's stare was intimidating.

"You what Pine Tree? Ha! I'm kidding! I know what you're doing here. You're tryin' to find mythical creatures and supernatural things! Well I just happen to know where you could look to find those things! I'll show you where they are! Deal?" He said, smirking at Dipper. A chill ran up the boy's spine at this.

"If you s-show me where they are w-what do you want in return?" Dipper said, angry that his voice once again shook and cracked, but he was happy he even got it out in the first place. Bill smiled at him, as if he found amusement in Dipper's fear.

"Well you see Pine Tree, I'm an all knowing being. I can see and do pretty much anything, and I was looking for someone that I believe to be smart and powerful enough to train. I was watching you just then and could clearly see you are a very intelligent kid for your age. I could help you fill that little journal of yours, if you promise to be my apprentice. I can tell by your look that you think this is crazy, but not all demons want to trick you. I promise this isn't a trick Pine Tree. You really are a smart kid." Dipper looked at him. Did he really think all of this stuff, or should he not believe him?  

He took a long look at the demon before giving him his answer. Dipper reached deep inside himself and mustered all the courage he could just to keep his voice steady.

"Look, you're a demon, you said so yourself, so there's no way I can trust you unless you prove it to me. Show me something first, and then we'll make a deal." Bill was taken aback by the young Pine Tree's sudden burst of courage, and it could show.

"You got guts calling me out Pine Tree, and I like that. Alright, let's get going then kid. We don't want to miss the show!" Dipper cocked an eyebrow, but was whisked up by the tall limbs of the demon before he could protest. He let out a cry that startled even himself.

"Wh-what are you doing? Put me down!"

"Nonsense kid, we'll never get there on time with your short legs slowin' us down! And loosen up will ya? Call me Bill!" Show? Short? Bill? He wasn't sure which thing to discuss first. Bill was hauling him under his arm, and the world was upside down to Dipper. He couldn't keep track of where they were going, especially since the demon had picked up a fast pace.

"Where are we going? Uh, Bill?" Dipper asked through the bumps in the ride. Bill showed a smile through his eye, and tipped his hat with his free hand.

"You'll see Pine Tree. Hold onto your hat and Journal kid, this is going to be hilarious!" 

Bill's laughter rang through the woods as he ran. Dipper gave up trying to even look around, it only resulted in him feeling queasy. He started thinking about what was happening in this moment. He was being lead to what he hoped was something he could write down in his journal. Knowledge beyond what he had heard and read about from his books. Something to impress his Great Uncle Ford, but he was also being carried further into the woods by a demon. This could easily result in his death and no one would even know he died. He opened his eyes to see they had stopped moving. Bill placed him down lightly, and Dipper looked around.  There was an open field in front of him, with flowers blooming everywhere. The trees were nicely spaced around the it and to the left of him was a rock.

Why did the demon bring him here? What creature did he have in mind? Dipper sided eyed Bill, who was still to the right of him. Bill was acting content here. He looked at peace to Dipper, but Dipper was still tense. He fidgeted slightly clutching his journal closer to himself. He had to be prepared for anything that Bill had in store for him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to be terrified at exactly what Bill might throw at him. 

The demon threw him a grin and sat himself on the rock, all the while keeping his gaze watchful unto the pre-teen. Dipper took a moment to look around for any sign of magic, but didn't notice anything except for the gentle breeze and soft scent of the wildflowers. He was about to ask Bill why he had brought him to an empty field when he started to hear the music. It drifted in from the distance slowly with an up-beat to it, like bluegrass. It was coming from the far end of the field and Dipper found himself moving just past Bill towards the source of the noise.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Why don't you find out for yourself, Pine Tree?" There was a thick lump that Dipper hadn't noticed forming in his throat until he swallowed it, and he could feel the palms of his hands starting to clam up. But despite this, his curiosity was piqued and he wanted to see what Bill had to offer him.

He walked further towards the bluegrass music, excitement bubbling up in his stomach. Getting closer, he could start to make out figures jumping around, or dancing happily. They had on overalls and hillbilly style hats, and were excitedly moving all about. They looked almost human in silhouette, but were much shorter and seemingly faster.

It wasn't until Dipper was only a few steps away that the hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he had the sudden urge to flee. The creatures moving around excitedly weren't exactly dancing, but almost galloping around freshly shredded deer parts. Every ounce of fiber in Dipper's body told him to run, but he felt glued to the spot, and only more terror grew in his eyes as he stepped on a twig alerting the killbillies' attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments, reading this, and leaving kudos! We are sorry still that the chapters will be uploaded irregularly! And they will be even more irregular soon since we have to go back to college! Thank you all and have a wonderful day!


	3. Deal or No Deal

He could remember his Grunkle Ford first telling him about killbillies when he and Mabel had first arrived in Gravity Falls. Dipper felt so stupid, forgetting so easily what his Grunkles had drilled into him and his sister for the last three years. But he was a bit more preoccupied at the moment with the bloodthirsty creatures chasing him. 

They were right on his tail, they had already chased him across the field and into a deeper part of the forest. His legs were starting to ache, but each moment he thought he might be able to slow down a bit, they would get a bit closer.  

Dipper yelped as a sharp pain jabbed into his side, and he could hear the killbillies cackling practically in his ears. The sun was starting to set now, a beautiful red color spilling out from the treetops onto the forest floor. He had been out for hours now, he hadn't even realized it had been close to sunset when Bill had taken him into the field. He was so stupid for trusting that demon.  

_But where is he now? Did he just leave me there? Was that his plan all along?_  

His lungs felt like they were getting tighter with every breath he took, with every step he made.  He could practically taste the dirt and sweat that thinly coated his skin,  from running,  from falling and brushing up against the mossy trees. Black spots were starting to cloud his vision, and Dipper made the horrifying realization that this may actually be the end for him. He winced, trying to hold back tears that threatened to make their way down his face, and a lump formed in his throat. 

There was a laugh to his right. Dipper wheezed from his shortened breath. He had to keep going though, he had to keep going. He wanted to make it home. He wanted to see what else Ford would teach him. See the crazy attractions Stan would make to trick the tourists. He wanted to grow up with Mabel. 

 “Kid, you can take your time or take my HAND and get out of here. “ Bill said through clenched teeth. He ripped his glove off with his teeth and extended the hand to Dipper. Both of them knew time was running out. Dipper could hear the killbillies footsteps directly behind him. Their growl sent a chill down his spine.

Dipper thought the scenery was mocking him. It was all too beautiful, dark green trees going past as he ran, light coming from between them. It looked like a painting. He knew if he looked up he would see the clouds lazily floating through the sky. It was to beautiful, and he himself is going to die in the most gruesome way.

He caught a glimpse of Bill still next to him. He hand still there and waiting patiently for him to return the gesture.

He wasn’t going to cry, there wasn’t anything to cry about. Instead he chuckled to himself. He could take that demon’s hand and possible get saved, or he could let the killbillies kill him. At this point his lungs felt like exploding and his heartbeat was ringing loud in his ears. Dipper found the answer to this choice immediately. He could feel the faint smile on his face as he let his hand grasp the demon’s. There was no turning back now. _Fuck it._

A burst of blinding blue light came forth from that grasp, and Dipper suddenly felt a rock settling in his belly. He was almost as suddenly thrown back into the forest ground and could feel the rocks beneath him bruising his already worn out muscles. He opened his eyes to a blue world, fire consuming the trees and most interestingly still, his right hand was covered in the blue fire, but did not elicit any pain.  

Dipper looked around for the killbillies to see how close they were, but what he found put a chill in his bones. They had been closer to him than he thought, because now he could see them, or what was left of them, surrounding him. And there were so many. Some were still alive, their flesh melting off their bodies into the forest floor, writhing and making terrible groans that he wish he didn't have to hear.

A stab of fear pierced into his heart as he looked directly in front of him. The fire encircled the forest and cast a blue glow onto his silhouette.

Cipher slowly turned around to look at the boy, and grinned at him, ear to ear. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the very late update. We are trying to get chapter 4 written, but it is being... slowly dealt with at the moment. But you have chapter three now! HURRAY! We sincerely hope you enjoy this. This chapter has set in motion some complicated plot lines, and is the starting point of details that will all come together later.That said it will take us more time to brainstorm and write. Thanks for sticking around!


	4. Family Day (Part One)

Dipper woke with a start, and could feel the warm rays of the sun hitting his skin. Light flooded in from the window, casting a triangular shape onto the carpet. He glanced around frightfully, but there was no sign of the demon. Running his hand through his damp hair, he quickly chalked it up to it being a dream. 

 'But then,' he asked himself, 'why did it feel so real?'  

Dipper didn't have time to deduce his dilemma, when Mabel practically bounced in and flopped on her own bed.  

"Hey Dip-Dop, how are you feeling? You've been asleep for ever!" she asked him, laying upside down on her mattress.  

Her hair almost touched the floor, and the sun seemed to be inching closer to the middle of the room. 

 "What time is it?" He asked.  

"It's almost noon, Dipper! Jeez, you really need to stop staying up so late reading those mystery books." 

 Noon? It was so weird, he couldn't even remember eating dinner last night, let alone going to bed.  

"And oh my gosh, you've got to hear about the party last night! It was so crazy, Wendy was there and so was Tambry and Robbie, and I ended up staying over at Candy's with her and Grenda later, and Pacifica actually came this time and..."  

Dipper began to tune Mabel out, not because he was disinterested (partly because he was disinterested) but because he couldn't help the nagging feeling that something was just off. He couldn't remember eating dinner, and he couldn't remember going to bed. He remembered going into the woods to study and explore, but then after that... It was that weird dream. He wondered if maybe it was a chemical imbalance, something to do with hormones, or even maybe he just imagined going out there in the first place and really had taken a nap yesterday? Dipper wasn't completely sure, and it bugged him to no end. He was brought out of his side-tract when Mabel began snapping her fingers in his face.  

"Hellooooo? Earth to Dipper, are you home?"  

She looked slightly disheartened at him being distracted, but what really hid behind it was worry.  

"Oh, sorry Mabel, I guess I'm just still tired. "  

She gave him a slightly weary look, but brushed it off.  

"You're probably just hungry! C'mon, let's go get some food!" 

“Geez Kid! You look like crap!” His grunkle's gruff voice call after him as he went by the living room to get food from the kitchen.  

“Thanks Grunkle Stan! I get it from you!” Dipper says back. He hears his Grunkle belt out a laugh at that.  

He felt Mabel’s hand tighten in his from when she had grabbed it to take him downstairs with her. Dipper didn’t mind. He liked the extra support she gave him. Mabel had already started to grab random things from the fridge and cupboards. Dipper definitely didn’t miss her reaching for her secret stash of edible glitter. Her hand all the way in the back of the left side cupboard. She had to partially prop herself on the counter to reach it. It would help if she didn’t keep it hidden behind various cans of unknown food that no one wants to even try to do anything with at this point.  

“Mabel you better be grabbing that glitter for yourself.” Dipper said with a slight smirk. He couldn’t be mad at her. He knew Mabel had her own way of trying to cheer people up.  

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Bro-bro!” she said in her sing song voice as she hid it behind her back. They both knew Dipper had already seen it and knew, but that won’t stop Mabel from trying to add it to his sandwich. They also both knew he wouldn’t mention it. Mabel liked people to be happy and well, and she tries to help them the only way she knows how. Even if that includes glitter. 

“Dipper, you’re awake.” Dipper heard the smooth but authoritive voice come from behind them.  

“GRUNKLE FORD! I’m making Dipper and myself a sandwich, do you want one?” Mabel said with glitter already covering her hands. Some had also managed to get in her hair and on her. 

“No thank you Mabel. I just came in here since I thought I heard you mention your brother. I am glad to see you up. I found something incredible while searching the woods this morning.” There was a big smile on his face as he thought about it. His hands gesturing all the while he talked. “I want you to come with me to look at it some more. How about it?” he put a firm hand on Dipper’s shoulder.  

Dipper was ready to say yes when he felt a chill run up his spine. Time felt like it stopped and haunting laughs echoed in his ears. His heart suddenly quickened in pace. Dipper felt like he had run out if breath, but before he knew he was out of this panic. He looked around and noticed that Ford still wore the same waiting expression and Mabel was still making their food. It was like they hadn’t even noticed that he almost had a panic attack. 

Shakely Dipper answered him. “Maybe tomorrow we can go look? I’m not feeling quite like myself today. Is that okay?” His eyes were in the floor and he felt bad for not excepting his grunkle's offer. 

“That’s perfectly fine Dipper. I’ll take you to go look at it once you feel up it.” Ford smiled lightly at him and gave a reassuring squeeze to Dipper’s shoulder.  

Dipper felt calmer talking to him and was thankful that his Grunkle was understanding and didn’t ask questions. He looked over at Mabel, who was eating her sandwich already, as Ford left the room to head out to the living room. He was probably going to go talk to Stan about going with him. Those two have been going exploring together recently.  

Mabel handed Dipper his plate as glitter fell from her sandwich onto the floor. He will never know how his sister can ingest so much glitter, but he smiled at her as he looked at his sandwich to see how much of it she had put on his. To his surprise there wasn’t much and he raised an eyebrow at her. Mabel just shrugged her shoulders and made herself another one. 

Stan and Ford both walked out into the kitchen quietly talking and gesturing to each other. They both stopped at the same time to look at the other twins.  

“Well kids,” Stan said looking from Mabel to Dipper. “Ford and I were talking and we decided that all of us together haven’t been out doing normal family things. So how about we take you two out and we’ll go see what we want to do while we're out.”  

Mabel was practically shaking with joy at this idea. Its not very often Stan agrees to spend more money than he needs too, and Mabel loved the idea of having family time. 

Mabel ran and hugged them both, while jumping up in down with glee. It looked like she whispered something really quick to both of them and then turned to face Dipper. 

“Come on bro bro! Get ready! We are having a quality family bonding experience!” She grabbed Dipper’s hand and dragged him upstairs to get ready.  

Mabel, herself, just grabbed a different sweater. She ran in grabbed her sweater and left in a hurry. When she was gone Dipper got ready. He wasn't sure what they would be doing, but he figured where ever they went, it wouldn't be too fancy. Still, they didn't get to go out very often. Looking over the contents of his dresser again, he decided finally on a pair of dark cargo shorts and a light gray t-shirt, with his usual trademark vest and hat. Once he finished dressing, he pulled on a pair of socks and his sneakers, and hurried down the stairs to meet his sister and Grunkles. He looked around, but found that the shack was empty.  

"Grunkle Stan? Ford? Mabel?" He called out. Looking through the windows, he found they were already waiting for him in the El Diablo. He clenched his fists tightly at his sides, slightly annoyed, but then took a deep breath. It was supposed to be a family day, little things like this shouldn't bother him.  

The car ride over to Greasy's, as Grunkle Stan revealed to them once he was in the car, was nothing out of the ordinary, and actually almost relaxing to Dipper. His sister going off about the latest sweater trends and boy bands interested him, and hearing his Grunkles getting along for a change was nothing short of music to his ears.  

It ended almost too soon, with Grunkle Stan pulling into the gravel parking lot, the engine making very questionable popping sounds as the car stopped.  

"Alright kids, tuck and roll!" His Grunkle yelled back, and Mabel took it literally, throwing open her door and falling down onto the small pebbles below. 

"Ow!" She yelled back, but she still had a smile in her voice. Dipper let out a laugh, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out of El Diablo, in time to see Grunkle Ford rolling his eyes before helping his niece up. 

"Mabel, try not to hurt yourself sweetie. Why don't you and Dipper go and pick out a booth for us? Us old men need to stretch our bones for a bit." Mabel nodded happily and grabbed Dipper's arm to move him along. 

"Who're you callin' old, Poindexter?" Was all that Dipper heard before Mabel dragged him into the diner.  

Outside, Ford leaned against the old car, watching his great niece and nephew run into the restaurant.  

"So what's this about? You've been stiff all morning. Well, stiffer than usual, but spill it." Stan said, stretching his back a little. Ford looked up to the blue sky, watching the birds. They were flying south. 

"Yesterday I noticed something... weird." 

"Yeah, it's your job if you haven't noticed." 

"No, I mean, weirder than usual. I was getting calls at four this morning over some creatures from the woods coming into town. And not just one or two, Lee, I mean hoards of Nomes, Unicorns,  even a few Killbillies." Stan gave his twin a skeptic look, but shifted his eyes back toward the restaurant. He could see Mabel and Dipper at a booth, smiling and waving at them. 

"That is kind of weird. Somethin's gotta be going down in there for them to come out here. And somethin' tells me you already know what." he finished, crossing his arms. He shifted his weight against the car, earning a few creaks from the rusty vehicle.  

Ford pushed up his glasses, letting out a sigh. "I think I might, but I'm hoping I'm wrong. We're going to have to check the wards tonight. We can't risk any chance of _him_ getting loose. Who know's what kind of chaos he'd put out after all those years." Stan grunted in reply, taking all his weight off the car and stretching again. 

"Got it then. Out into that hell hole tonight, after the kids pass out. Right now's family time though, Ford, so try and put it away for now. I'm sure Mabel's already driving the family behind our booth nuts." Ford nodded, giving a soft smile back at his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We decided to split up chapter 4 since it was getting long and we didn't want to overload it. So here is part one, and we are currently working on part two. Hope you enjoy it! See you next time!


	5. Family Day (Part two)

When they got inside they could hear Mabel talking a mile a minute to the poor people behind them. Dipper nudged her with his elbow so she would notice that their grunkles were back. 

Mabel turned around smiling and noticed them. She started waved enthusiastically at them while they walked over to the booth. 

"Sorry it took us a little bit kids, accidentally traveled memory lane." Stan said rubbing the back of his neck. 

"That’s fine Grunkle Stan! I was having a very nice conversation with the couple behind us!" Mabel smiled even more and bounced in her seat. Dipper smiled slightly and shook his head. He knew she was bound to be more energetic since she drank some of her, definitely not safe to drink, Mabel Juice. It shouldn't be possible to consume as much sugar and glitter as his sister did.  

Lazy Susan came around and took their orders, scribbling all the usuals for Greasy's best customers. The family enjoyed their meals over laughter and teasing from one another, lightening up the gloomy mood.  

“Mabel, you’re getting that stuff everywhere!”  

“Psssh, come on Dipper it’s only syrup!” she said, smacking her sticky hands all over the table. The family behind them had long left their booth, right after Stan had finished telling the kids about the time he went to Vegas. It wasn't long until they had paid their bill and left themselves. When both Grunkles squabbled over where to take the kids, Mabel not so subtly suggested that they all go to the arcade. It was only a short ride away and by the time they had gotten there, it was just a few minutes before the arcade was open. Dipper was chatting with Mabel about what games they might play this time while the Grunkles were sorting out how much they'd be spending for that afternoon.  

The twins agreed to play a double game first that Dipper would pick out, and Mabel would go to get the tokens. That was her favorite part. She was waiting impatiently at the counter for an employee to give her coins when one finally showed up. His short blonde hair covered one eye, and the other golden hazel eye caught her off guard.  

"How can I help you today?" He asked smoothly, his voice like honey. She felt completely enamored by his good looks. She felt a blush creeping up on her cheeks and she batted her lashes at him before handing over the meager cash. 

"Just some tokens please, if it won't trouble you." She asked, despite knowing full well that it was his job. 

"Oh, this isn't a lot, are you here alone?" He asked, giving her a dazzling smile. He opened the cash register and placed in the bills. 

"Oh _no,"_ she said smiling back at him, "I'm here with my Grunkles and twin brother!" Mabel leaned against the counter nonchalantly, staring dreamily at him. She liked his bow tie. 

"Oh wow, you have a _twin?_ That must be so interesting! So do you guys share everything? Are you completely alike?" The employee asked, hauling up a bucket full of coins that certainly wasn't worth what Mabel had handed him in cash. She wasn't paying much attention to this however. 

"Oh no, we couldn't be more different! I like mini-golfing, and partying and Sev'ral Timez, they're such a good band!"  

"And your brother doesn't?" He asked, leaning his head against his hand. 

"Dipper? Psh, nah!" She said waving her hand. "He's into paranormal stuff and sci-fi things, you know, dungeons and mysteries and all that! He's not much of a "people-person" if ya know what I mean!" She pointed finger-guns at him. He grinned and winked back at her, melting her insides. 

"Oh I getcha! Here's your coins, have fun!" He said slightly dismissively, and she grabbed the bucket feeling flattered and ran off to meet her brother and tell him about her new dream boy. The "employee" grinned before disappearing without a trace. 

Mabel grabbed Dipper's arm, slightly out of breath, and also shaking slightly from adrenaline.  

"Bro! You will never guess what just happened!" She was practically shining in happiness. 

"What?" Dipper said, then looking down at the bucket Mabel had. "How did you get so many coins? We didn’t have the money for that!" 

Mabel ignored his question and went to too tell him what happened.  

"He was the most GORGEOUS human being I have ever laid eyes on Dip! He is basically my DREAM GUY! His voice was so smooth sounding and he was Tall and his eye was so beautiful. You have to see him! He is the definition of beauty!" She still had a hold of Dipper's arm and started dragging him back to where she had just been.  

Once they stopped Mabel looked around.  

"He was just here... Where did he go?" She sounded disappointed.  

"Uh, maybe he went on break?" Dipper said placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go play that game, he will probably show back up later." 

"You're probably right. Bet I can beat you to the machine first!" She said, shoving him to the side and taking off running. 

"Hey no fair!" He yelled after her and took off running as well. 

_In the_ _back_ _room_ _, he let out a small sigh. He could see from holes in the walls that the Pines were having a good time, but he wasn't about to ruin that... yet. The sleeping form of the arcade manager and his employees were in his peripheral. It was almost comical to him how easy it was to trick humans now a days. His lips curled seeing his sapling enjoying his time, but immediately turned downward feeling the sharp pain pulling him back to his prison. The wards may have been weakened, but they weren't broken. Yet._  

They returned home drained from a nice day out, then all agreed to watch a movie once they returned home as a finale to their fun filled family day. They all decided on a movie each one of them could actually stand, though about an hour in both Mabel and Dipper had fallen asleep.  

Stan and Ford carried the kids up to their room and put them to bed. Look at the sleeping faces of their great niece and nephew one more time, they closed the door to go downstairs and out to the woods.  

They both knew the pathway there like the back of their hands, both hating the reason they had to make this journey. Stan looked over at Ford, he frowned slightly taking in how Ford looked. Ford's face was masked in a look of hatred, his mouth turned into an almost sneer, and eyes in the front showed fire and anger, but looking past it Stan saw the slight fear and paranoia that could never escape his brother. He let out a quiet sigh and looked back forward.  

They came to a stop when they saw the distinctive mark of a six fingered hand carved into a tree. Ford finally looked over a Stan. Stan looked at the mark and back at Ford. 

"Ya ready Poindexter?" Stan said trying slightly to lighten the mood. 

Ford nodded to him and took a deep breath in, then out.  

"He knows already we are here, I know he does. I can feel him staring at us." Ford said staring straight ahead. 

He moved over to the tree and placed a hand on it. Immediately Ford's hand started glowing a light grey color. A glow started to surround the forest on the other side of the Marked Tree. Symbols appeared and changed every so often. Ford felt his hand shake slightly and let out a breath, concentrating on the task at hand. He couldn’t let that monster see him weaken at all. 

Stan was over at the tree a few steps down right. His hand also placed on it. Light red encased his hand. He looked up at Ford and nodded to him.  

While Ford could have done this himself, he felt better knowing his brother was helping him. Both of them together would make it stronger anyways. 

Ford took a deep breath and started reciting the spell for the seal. This seal wouldn’t break as long as the Pines were still alive. He would make sure of it. 

_"Pvvk fh lfg zmw pvvk srn rm_    
 _Vero uriv yfimvw_ _drgs_ _hrm_    
 _Yrixs givvh ml olmtvi vbvh_    
 _Pvvk srn uiln dsrhkvirmt orvh_    
 _Krmvh yollw kilgvxgh gsv tilfmw_    
 _Slowh gsv wvnlm, nzpvh srn ylfmw"_  

Their hands stopped glowing once Ford finished the spell and they removed their hands. Once they did a loud bang happened between where they stood. Right there that monster stood smirking at the two. 

He waved at Ford and leaned on his cane. His eye piercing into Ford's. He felt Stan lay a hand on his shoulder and saw the look on his brother's face. Stan didn't look happy at all, and his glare was just as fiery as it was all those years ago. Neither of them would ever forget what happened, and they didn’t want the same to happen to anyone else, especially their niece or nephew.  

"Hey Sixer! Hey Crest! Long time no see! Why the angry faces? I thought you would be happy to see me. I'm happy to see you!" Bill's Smirk never faded and his golden eye stared at them both with amusement. 

Stan's hand tightened from where it was sitting on Ford's shoulder still. Ford felt his own hands tighten into fists. Ford opened his mouth to reply, but Stan beat him to it. 

"You know the exact reason for our angry faces Cipher! You ain't getting out of that barrier anytime soon you isosceles demon!" Stan had removed his hand and held a fist up looking ready to fight. 

Ford walked up to Stan and grabbed his arm. "He isn't worth it Stan. Leave him. He will rot in there anyways."  

Bill's piercing laugh surrounded them. He kept his eye on them the entire time he laughed. His eye never blinking all the while they were there. His mouth stretched too far into a smile and pointed teeth gleamed in moonlight. His golden hair being swayed by the light wind. One of his gloved hands still rested on his cane, the other placed on his stomach from his laughing. He took one step forward and placed the hand from his stomach on to the barrier between the twins and him. It rippled and signs appeared. He punched it one more time for good measure, making sure it was louder than the last time, and disappeared with a laugh lingering in the wind. 

After standing there for a few more minutes, both Pines went home and went to their rooms to go to bed. 

Though that night none of the pines had a good night's sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! We hope you're enjoying the story so far, if you are new and haven't read our AN's before you should probably know that we update irregularly. That out of the way, we are both fairly happy with the outcome of this chapter. Next chapter the ball will get rolling with more Bill of course. Also, the spell Ford says was originally supposed to be in latin, but we found that it didn't really translate well. So it's in code instead!

**Author's Note:**

> This is a joint account between two best friends, and we would like to inform you that this fic will have an irregular uploading schedule due to both of us being in college. Thank you!


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